By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Presidency on Tuesday brokered a last-minute truce with the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), averting a planned nationwide strike after securing agreements on outstanding salary arrears, promotions, welfare issues and a legislative move to criminalise assaults on health workers.
The breakthrough followed a closed-door meeting lasting about three hours at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, convened by the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and attended by key government officials responsible for health, labour, finance, budgeting and public sector payroll administration.
Among those at the meeting were the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi; the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate; the Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Taiwo Oyedele; the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation; the Accountant-General of the Federation; and officials overseeing cash management and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
Speaking after the meeting, NARD President, Dr Muhammad Suleiman, said the discussions produced concrete commitments from the Federal Government that addressed virtually all the issues responsible for the association’s strike ultimatum.
“Today, I can tell you our matters are solved,” Suleiman declared.
He said both parties agreed on clear implementation timelines for resolving outstanding issues relating to salaries, promotions and welfare benefits that had pushed resident doctors to the brink of industrial action.
According to him, the intervention by the President’s Chief of Staff once again proved decisive in resolving disputes involving resident doctors.
“This is not the first time the Chief of Staff has intervened in our matters. Whenever he comes into our issues, our matters are solved. Timelines have now been agreed by the relevant government agencies on salaries, promotions and other outstanding issues,” he said.
Suleiman disclosed that one of the immediate resolutions reached was the settlement of issues surrounding meal allowances at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), with implementation expected within one week.
He also announced a breakthrough on the persistent delay in the payment of salaries to house officers.
According to him, the Presidency has directed that salaries for newly employed house officers must no longer be delayed.
“A standing order has now been issued that before the 10th of every month, salaries of house officers must be paid,” he stated.
The NARD President further revealed that the Federal Government had directed the Ministries of Health and Labour and Employment to fast-track negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the association so that the outcome could be accommodated in the 2027 budget.
He described the engagement as productive and expressed optimism that the remaining issues would be resolved within the agreed timelines.
Beyond welfare issues, the meeting also addressed the growing spate of attacks on doctors and other healthcare workers across the country.
Suleiman disclosed that the association informed government that no fewer than 31 doctors and over 20 other health workers had been assaulted within the last 10 months.
He said the Federal Ministry of Health had undertaken to issue directives to hospitals to strengthen security measures and create safer working environments for healthcare personnel.
The ministry will also embark on nationwide public sensitisation campaigns aimed at discouraging violence against medical workers.
In addition, Gbajabiamila pledged to champion legislative reforms that would make attacks on health workers a more serious criminal offence.
“The Chief of Staff has taken it upon himself to introduce legislation that will make assaults on health workers an aggravated offence. We believe this will send a strong message that attacks on healthcare workers will no longer be tolerated,” Suleiman said.
He also explained that discussions covered the lingering dispute over hazard and specialist allowance arrears, which he traced to a payment shortfall that began about seven years ago when resident doctors received only 40 per cent of their approved entitlements.
Although the Tinubu administration corrected the payment structure in February 2026, he said a 19-month backlog dating back to July 2024 remains outstanding.
Despite the progress recorded, Suleiman said the association’s National Executive Council (NEC) would take the final decision on formally suspending the planned strike.
“I cannot stand here and say the strike has been called off. I must brief our National Executive Council. They will consider the outcome of today’s meeting and take a final decision,” he said.
He, however, expressed confidence that the commitments secured from the Presidency had substantially resolved the issues that triggered the strike notice.
NARD had earlier threatened to embark on an indefinite nationwide strike from August 10 if the Federal Government failed to address lingering concerns over unpaid salary arrears, allowances, promotions and other welfare issues affecting resident doctors.
